


Battle Scars

by LadyAa



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Rangshi Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26588458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAa/pseuds/LadyAa
Summary: My submission for Day 4 of Rangshi Week.
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 97





	Battle Scars

Rangi had absolutely had it with Kyoshi by the time they finally settled at their campsite. “Kyoshi!” She bellowed and dramatically threw her hands into the air. “You’re bleeding _again_!” Her face was red and Kyoshi could have sworn she saw steam coming out of her ears.

“Oh, right.” Kyoshi let out as she dabbed her back and brought her bloodied hand to her face. Kyoshi had once again gotten wounded as they fought against _daofei_ earlier. She did a poor job of healing herself, and barely let Kirima work on her before deciding to get back up and continue in her search for punishing the criminals. Rangi angrily stormed into Kirima’s tent and pulled the waterbender out by her elbow before aggressively pointing at Kyoshi’s bleeding back. Kirima rolled her eyes as she pulled out the water from her pouch. “Are you going to sit still long enough to let me finish you up this time?” Before Kyoshi could answer, Rangi marched over and placed a firm hand on Kyoshi’s shoulder, holding her down. “Yes. Yes, she is.”

***

Kyoshi walked into the tent after Kirima finished her up to find the firebender already changed into her cotton shift, laying down to the side. She slowly undressed until she was only in her night robe and dipped underneath the covers as she watched Rangi beside her. There was no way she was asleep, Kyoshi thought. She was too worked up. Her eyes were shut and she was probably thinking of different ways to punish the other woman for being so reckless and careless when it came to her own body. Kyoshi knew her well. 

After internally hesitating for a few moments, Kyoshi decided to prod. She sat up and placed a hand on her warm shoulder. “Rangi, Kirima finished me up.” Rangi angrily furrowed her brows as she kept her eyes shut and didn’t reply. Kyoshi leaned in closer. “Rangi, please. I’m sorry.” Kyoshi’s voice cracked. As intimidating as she was as an avatar, she was a giant baby when it came to the woman next to her. If Rangi didn’t approve, she’d want nothing more than to curl into a ball and cry. Rangi turned around and immediately snapped as she sat up to face Kyoshi. “What kills me is you _know_ what it’s like to see the one person you care about in the entire world wounded and hurt!” She blew up like a water tribe native trying fire flakes for the first time. “You experienced it with me after the battle at the mansion. So tell me, Kyoshi, why you feel the need to make me go through that every single time we have to use violence to take care of an issue.” Rangi had pain in her eyes as she examined the girl’s face, hopelessly looking for an explanation on her freckled features. 

Kyoshi didn’t know what to say, she just thought back to the moment Rangi had just brought up. _One of the scariest moments of her life_. She’d stabilized Rangi afterwards and stayed by her side healing her until Atuat and her mother had arrived, but the memory of Rangi getting stabbed and losing consciousness still replayed over and over again in her head, haunting her during restless nights. She remembered vividly how she felt about protecting the smaller girl, and making sure, by all means, that she was properly healed. 

_Kyoshi had never spent such a long period of time in the infirmary. She didn’t want to leave the other girl’s side. Her healing skills were far from perfect, but she wouldn’t accept anything less than a miracle to happen in this broken-down mansion. Thankfully, one showed up not too long after._

_Rangi was sleeping when Atuat and Hei-Ran arrived to the scene. Kyoshi sat next to Atuat and watched carefully as she worked on the firebender’s wound. She needed to acknowledge what she did differently, and become better. She was more grateful than any human in the world for Atuat’s expertise at the moment. She couldn’t live with herself if she didn't get the best and only the best help for Rangi._

_Hei-Ran was sitting quietly across from them, on Rangi’s other side, never taking her eyes off of her daughter’s face. Kyoshi had never seen such distress on Hei-Ran, not even when there was a dagger in her throat. “She’s never been hurt like this.” She finally spoke up, noticing Kyoshi’s gaze on her. Her voice was still scratchy and weak, mixed with a brokenness of seeing her flesh and blood wounded in front of her. “At the Academy, I’d sometimes find her after school with small scratches and bruises on her limbs, from getting into fights with the other girls....and I’d tend to them in minutes. After a few days, she’d be back to normal. But this....” Hei-Ran’s hand went up to her face as her fingers pierced her eyelids. She was trying her best to stop the tears from flowing._

_Kyoshi couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the tears actually falling from them. Atuat kept her focus on healing Rangi but used her free hand to reach over and squeeze the other woman’s hand. The same woman who stood unfaltering as a dagger struck her throat, broke down at the sight of her little girl, badly wounded and stabbed in the same way she had been. “I understand what I did to deserve Yun’s wrath. But my kind, just Rangi...” Hei-Ran moved a strand of hair out of Rangi’s face and cupped her cheek. Atuat spoke up, “She’s going to be fine. Kyoshi did a good job stabilizing her. The avatar saved her life.” Hearing those words struck a chord in Kyoshi’s heart, she swallowed the lump in her throat and fought back the sudden urge for messy tears. She couldn’t have heard better words in her entire life. Hei-Ran faced Kyoshi and intensely stared her down, gratitude shimmering in her tearful eyes. “I owe you everything, Kyoshi.” Hei-Ran reached out to take her lightning struck hands in her own. “Thank you.” Kyoshi felt the tears pool in her eyes as she nodded. That was a phrase she rarely ever heard as the Avatar. But hearing it from family was worth more than mountains of gold. She looked back at Rangi and her heart leaped with joy as her eyes started fluttering open again._

Kyoshi looked into those same eyes right now, except they were disappointed, hurt, troubled. Kyoshi’s heart ached as she realized she had no one to blame but herself. 

Rangi angrily turned back around and pulled the blanket above her head. Kyoshi could hear her little sniffs from under the covers. Kyoshi looked at Rangi and realized she was facing her scar. Kyoshi slowly unbuttoned her shift from the back. Rangi was aware but didn’t bother trying to stop her. She couldn’t face the other woman right now. Kyoshi looked at the marred skin and caressed the scar with her fingers. Her heart ached, recalling the look on Rangi’s face as she realized she’d been stabbed. The way her lips parted as she fell to the ground. The scene itself horrified Kyoshi, and completely contradicted the version of Rangi she liked best in her mind, glowing and full of life as she jet stepped in the moonlight. The limp, bloodied version of Rangi was the one that tended to visit her often in her nightmares, no matter how hard she tried to focus on the glowing one. 

She realized now why Rangi was so upset. She couldn’t cherish Kyoshi’s body without being reminded of all the times she’d watched her get hurt, or close to death. She wondered if Rangi was reminded of Xu Ping An’s lightning every time she looked at her hands. Rangi always kissed them and traced the scars with her fingertips when they laid together, but she wondered if it hurt her to do so, like Kyoshi was hurting now. 

Kyoshi leaned in and kissed her right on her puncture wound. Rangi’s sniffs quieted down. Her lips lingered for a moment, and then pulled away as she rested her forehead on Rangi’s back. “I don’t mean to hurt you, Rangi. I just get so caught up in the moment that protecting others becomes far more important than avoiding small blows.” Kyoshi sighed, and Rangi felt her breath on her back. “As much as I try not to, I think about holding your dying body in my arms every day. Your scar is a painful reminder of that memory. I used to think my smaller scars didn’t matter in retrospect to the bigger picture, but now I realize they must have the same effect on you.” 

Rangi turned around and grabbed Kyoshi by the cheeks. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Kyoshi.” Her voice was desperate and breathy. “You think you’re invincible sometimes, yet you bleed just like everyone else. I’ve spent several years dedicating my life to serving the Avatar, but _you_ Kyoshi, _you’re_ my reason for living, breathing, fearing-“ Kyoshi leaned up and crashed her lips into the firebender’s. Rangi lost herself into it and pressed herself closer into Kyoshi’s body. Kyoshi brushed and tangled her hands in Rangi’s hair as Rangi did the same with hers. Rangi moved them so Rangi was sitting on top of Kyoshi, straddling her. She opened up the taller woman’s robe so it exposed her bare skin. Rangi looked into Kyoshi’s eyes as she laced their fingers together, before leaning down and kissing every single one of her scars, no matter how small. Some were almost hidden, but Rangi made sure to give them attention as well.

Kyoshi wanted to cry, but Rangi sensed this as she slightly rubbed her thumb against her hand, soothing her. She continued kissing her up and down her body before trailing up to her neck. She kissed the garrote wound and made her way all around as Kyoshi’s neck tilted up to compensate. Kyoshi felt a small, sharp pain on the side of her neck as she realized Rangi was softly sucking her skin. Rangi pulled away to look at the love bite she’d just given Kyoshi and devilishly smiled, “Now that’s a mark I don’t mind looking at.” She dove back down to kiss Kyoshi on the lips, and lingered there for a few moments.  
Kyoshi felt dazed, in a trance when Rangi finally pulled away and guided her hands up to her lips, kissing the both of them before letting go. 

“I’ll do better,” Kyoshi whispered. “I’ll be more careful.” 

Rangi abandoned her dreamy and delicate look to narrow her eyes down at the other woman. “You’re damn right you will.”

Kyoshi crookedly grinned and sat up so she faced Rangi, “My turn,” She pulled Rangi closer by the waist.

Rangi looked at her stupidly before raising an eyebrow. “Your turn?” She scoffed. “What are you going to do, exactly? Kiss my back and call it a night? Unlike you, I’m perfect.” She examined her nails as Kyoshi softly pushed her to the ground, hovering above her. Rangi smiled as Kyoshi leaned down, their lips were almost touching. “Okay, Ms. Perfect. Let me examine that body of yours just to be sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to be nice to you all and give you more comfort than hurt. ;)
> 
> I've been focusing more on artwork for Rangshi week (you can find me as ms.coolkat on ig), but I had an idea for this prompt, and hopefully tomorrow's as well. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!


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